There is an infinite depth to watchmaking. The plethora of technical solutions to a single challenge, through to different inventions, functions and complications are never-ending. An individual can research the subject for a lifetime and still only scrape the surface of horology. The same can be said for the commercial side of the art, and the number of brands that have existed and disappeared, those that are strong in their presence and the ever-emerging new brands appearing almost monthly.

Below are some obscure, forgotten and some still in use but lesser-known names.